Love in a Froggy Manner
by Violet Vicky
Summary: Harry and Hermione screw up a potion/charm hybrid and get sent back to 1924... as frogs. Join them, Louis, Tiana, Naveen, and Ray on a journey of love and perhaps digging deeper to find what you need from life.


"Oh for the love of Merlin, what happened Mione?" Harry Potter groaned as he awoke with the worst headache imaginable.

"How would I know, last thing I remember we were working on that frigging potion/charm hybrid and then everything went black," Hermione Granger replied, feeling the same as her brother in spirit.

The two Gryffindor students had returned to Hogwarts after the war finished, intent on completing their education, despite the numerous offers to go straight into work for the Auror Department, but after the horrors they had witnessed and done, neither wanted to be in that field. Ginevra Weasley, Harry's 'girlfriend' when they were in 6th had been ecstatic, while her big brother Ronald had been pissed at Hermione, wanting her to marry him and become an instant housewife. Both had been sore when the pair broke up with them, Hermione and Ron weren't even truly dating to begin with, and then ignored them, which the spirit siblings were happy about.

They'd been a few months from finishing the year when they'd decided to try a hybrid, combining a potion and a charm together to become a better personal ward, their experiences during the war bringing on their passion towards creations. They'd been helped along the way by their deceased Potions' professor, Severus Snape, who had left everything he owned to Harry, as he was the last remaining connection to Lily Potter nee Evans, the only woman Snape had ever loved.

When the pair opened their eyes, they instantly noticed a huge problem; they were tiny! Hermione looked over at the wizard and screamed, causing Harry to look back and scream also. They were frogs! Thankfully both were known for their abilities to rationalise whatever situation was thrown at them, and calmed, "We screwed up with the potion, all we need to do is get back to school and see if anyone can understand us, and if not we can just write what we want to say."

"Right," the wizard looked about and hummed, "Mione, this doesn't look like the Forbidden Forest and it definitely doesn't feel like Scotland, unless we've been unconscious for a few months. Last I remembered, it was still lightly snowing."

"Oh no, oh no," Hermione shook her head, looking about more, "We're not in Scotland, this is very bad."

The pair were sitting there, contemplating their next move, when the sound of a cracking twig came from their left. They jumped up, fumbled slightly in their new bodies, but were on full alert, "Who's there?"

Their eyes widened in fear as a hulky alligator rose from the reeds, his teeth showing, glistening in the slight sun. They saw him raise his hands and were getting ready to move from a blow, when he twinkled his fingers, "Hey there froggies, I'm Louis."

"Louis? Wait, how can we understand him Mione?"

"Well, we're animals, we can probably understand all other animals, like how Padfoot and Crookshanks were able to talk to each other," the witch theorised before turning back to an intrigued Louis, "Hello Louis, I'm Hermione Granger, and this is my brother Harry Potter. We're in a spot of bother, so could you perhaps tell us where we are and what the date is?"

The alligator was confused, that was evident, but he answered, "Well, jeez, you're in the Bayou, New Orleans, and it's 1924. You two speak funny, and I've never met a frog with a last name."

"Well, see, we're not really frogs, and we definitely aren't from around here," Harry said plonking onto a mushroom, "We're humans, actually we're a witch and wizard…"

"MAGIC!" The alligator became afraid, "Like, like, like voodoo?"

Hermione shook her head fiercely, "Definitely not, we don't delve into that, we use wands, make potions, ride on brooms. And we're not even from this time, we've been thrown 75 years into the past, in between the First and Second World Wars, oh this is bad, very bad. We're not going to be able to get back, no one has ever gone back this far, and we can't even prevent what we know is going to happen in the future, it could cause major destructions. This is the Butterfly Effect in action."

"Hermione," Harry said sternly, taking her froggy hands into his own, "Tell me, what do we have in the future?"

"Well, all those books in your vault for one, and, and, umm well, there's Neville…"

"Mione, this is our chance to have our own destinies, to not be under anyone's thumb, even if we are frogs the rest of our lives, at least we'll not be controlled"

Hermione's face lit up, "Yeah, and hey, we can stick with Louis, can't we big guy?"

Louis had been listening intently, and very confusedly, but hearing that the frogs wanted to stick with him, he grinned widely, "Sure, sure, hop on my friends."

The large reptile crashed into the bayou, making large waves in the water, and the friends hopped into his belly happily. He brought out a trumpet then and began playing lively, Hermione's face lighting up, "That's jazz, my Dad would play it all the time."

"You know jazz? Can you play?"

"Clarinet, best damned player in my primary school's band," the frog tried to snap her fingers in frustration, "I can't play like this, even if I had one, damn."

Harry shrugged, "We've all the time in the world, we can improvise, here."

The frog pulled down a forked branch with strings of spider silk on it, handing it over to his sister, who strummed it like a guitar, "Alright. Louis, tell me if this sounds okay."

She strummed a few chords, trying to remember her father's hands as he played, making a few notes, and the alligator laughed happily, passing Harry down two short sticks, "Sounds okay for now. You start on drums and we may have ourselves a band before we know it."

And the trio floated down the bayou, learning as they went, making music and making new lives for themselves.

Harry, Hermione and Louis had been together for 2 years now. The teenagers had meshed into bayou life easily, it was far more pleasant and oh so relaxing, working on their music and not worrying about the troubles from the past lives. They'd found out early on that they still retained their magic, so would train that, finding it much easier than it ever had been while they were humans, and Louis had been pleased as it meant they were that much more safer from hunters, his main fear after pricker bushes.

On their travels they'd met many new friends, other musical creatures, having a concert of sorts with them all, though they'd blown everyone from the water as being the only band with a horn player, everyone else was percussion and strings. They would float along and pick up new ideas from the riverboats that carried people down the Mississippi, occasionally grabbing things that fell off, all went into a satchel that the two teens had fashioned together and enlarged with a few charms and runes.

They were heading towards New Orleans to listen in on Mardi Gras, which would be really swinging in a few days, when they heard two arguing voices, "Could use a little help!"

"I will play a little louder," the sound of a spider web ukulele got louder.

The trio looked out and saw two frogs sitting on a raft, "They're humans."

"What?" Louis asked, "They looks frog."

"No dunce, they're like us, they don't act like frogs do," Harry said kindly, "We should introduce ourselves."

"Oh yes, please Mione?" The alligator threw the witch perfect puppy dog eyes."

Sighing and rolling her eyes, Hermione nodded, "Fine, but don't scare them Louis."

The reptile clapped before swimming closer. Of course, he came out of the water and the female screamed, followed by the male, so the teens hopped out, "Wake up the entire swamp why don't you?"

"Who, who, who…"

"Merlin, I and Hermione and this is my brother Harry, and we're like you," standing on her back legs, the teens extended their hands, "So, what's your names."

"I am Prince Naveen of Maldonia, and she is Tiana, the waitress," getting closer, he whispered, "Do not kiss her."

"Now just a second," Tiana pushed her finger into Naveen's chest, "This corny here got himself turned into a frog by a voodoo man and now…"

Louis freaked, "Voodoo? Like Mama Odie do?"

The teens had heard of the old, blind voodoo lady in the bayou and already knew that voodoo freaked their large friend out, but the two other frogs said, "Mama hoodie?"

"Mama Odie, she's the voodoo queen of the bayou," Hermione said plainly, "She lives in the deepest, darkest part of the bayou."

"Can you take us to her?" The other pair asked hopefully.

Louis shook his head, "Pricker bushes, trappers, hunters with GUNS! Uh-uh."

"Why would you want to change though, being a frog is so freeing," Harry sighed, floating on a lily pad, "All we do is relax, play our music, and help our friends out. No worries, especially with this big guy around to ward off those other pesky alligators who see us amphibians as a snack before dinner."

"But, but, what about your families? Your responsibilities and dreams?" Tiana was stunned at the attitude.

Both magicals went cold, "We've only got Louis now, our families aren't even born yet. Responsibilities, we've had an entire community to be responsible for and deserve a goddamn break and our only dreams involve seeing the next morning and having a chance to see more of this wonderful world, if only our little portion of it."

Tiana realised she had touched a nerve so said the next part carefully, "When are you from?"

"1999, the future, we're a witch and wizard, and no," seeing the eager looks, "We don't deal with voodoo, we have a different area of magic to that. We were trying a creation when it backfired; we've been with Louis for 2 years now and love it, though…"

"Though what?" Naveen asked.

"I do miss clothes, and having opposable thumbs, and flying," Hermione gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth, looking at her brother warily.

Harry wore a cocky grin, "I knew it! Why else would your Animagus be a dove if you were terrified of flying. HA!"

"Dammit," the witch sighed, "Oh hell, come on Louis, let's get to Mama Odie's, see if she can get us froggies back into human bodies."

"Hallelujah!" Louis leapt into the water, and all four hopped on.

They began singing, and the two females assisted in steering the large creature, though Hermione did take time to strum on her guitar a little.

"No, no, no, there's no way I'm kissing a frog and eating a bug in the same day," Tiana complained, trying to forced her tongue back into her mouth.

Harry and Hermione were easily catching mosquitoes, ignoring the two newbies, until of course they heard them collide and knew instantly what had happened, their tongues had entwined once also and they'd spent hours after getting apart learning to aim properly. Unfortunately for them, Louis got to Tiana and Naveen before them and now had them in a large knot, "Oh Merlin."

"Now, how's that?"

"It could be a little better," the entwined pair said together.

"I know what this needs, a sharp stick, I'll be right back," the alligator raced off.

Harry and Hermione were trying hard not to chuckle at their new companions' predicament, "Oh that looks uncomfortable."

"It is"

"Well, only one thing to do," Hermione let out a shrill whistle and waited.

He came slowly but soon the thick Cajun accent of their friend Raymond the firefly sounded, "Now do I hear the whistle of the exotic Hermione Frog?"

"Ray, you sweet talker," the teens embraced their fellow musician before pointing at the knotted pair, "Think you can fix this?"

"On it chère," Ray tinkered first with his bulb, getting to light finally, before diving into the middle of the mess, "Mercy, you done got into a tangle here."

Finally he emerged holding the end of the tangle, pulled and the two of them fell to the ground. Naveen got up and brushed himself off, "Thank you sir. Pardon me, your accent, it is odd no?"

"Cajun, born and bred in the bayou," the firefly flew down to their height, "I'm Raymond but most call me Ray."

"Thanks mate, they were in a right mess," Harry smiled at him.

"They like you Cap?"

All 4 nodded, "Though they seem like normal humans."

"Where you all headed then?"

"Mama Odie's"

Ray laughed heartily, "You're going in the wrong direction to see her. Who told you to come this way? You weren't following ole Louis again were you chère?"

Hermione groaned, "Stupid alligator directions."

Just then Louis returned and saw the angry looks, "I found a stick."

"Louis, are you taking us the wrong way again?" Harry asked.

"Well, see, I was confused by the topography, and geography, and the choreography"

All of them sighed and Ray whistled once more, "Me and my relationals will lead you there."

The group, with Ray added in, had just escaped the hunters, freaking them the hell out when Tiana had said to their faces, "And we talk too."

Poor Louis though, he'd thrown his body into a large pricker bush, and Ray was even worse off, he had to remove them all. Tiana patted his snout, "How about I make you up some swamp gumbo?"

"Oh please, OW!"

"Sounds delicious! I'll start with a free dinner cocktail and something to nibble on while I wait thanks," Naveen kicked his feet up on a mushroom.

Both Harry and Tiana scowled, pulling on leaf aprons, while Hermione grabbed Naveen's arm, "No, you and I are going to mince mushrooms."

"This is ridiculous," the prince complained.

"Stop whining," Hermione said, assisting him in his first mushroom, "See, you're making out to be a fine mincer."

Naveen beamed, "You really think so? Perhaps good enough for Tiana's restaurant?"

"Give it a little practice, you're about as good as I was before Harry taught me," the witch said honestly, floating up a leaf full of the mince fungi to her brother.

Harry took it and tasted the gumbo, "Damn good Tiana, you're one hell of a cook."

"You're not too bad yourself Harry," the frog bump shoulders with her new friend, "I can't wait to open my restaurant, I could use a chef like yourself there."

"Maybe, but I think you've got two mincers in Naveen and Hermione," the wizard chuckled, adding more okra.

"I've never done anything like this before," Naveen admitted to the frog beside him.

Hermione looked over, mildly surprised, "Really?"

"When you're living in a castle, everything is done for you, all the time. They feed you, dress you, drive you… brush your teeth."

"Aww, poor baby"

Naveen sighed, "I admit, it was a charmed life, until the day my parents cut me off, and suddenly I realised… I don't know how to do anything for myself."

The witch looked over and saw his utter sadness at that fact, so playfully nudged him, "Well, at least you're willing to learn. See, you've just minced a damn good mushroom."

The prince looked and saw that the two piles were identical, and his mouth split into a large grin, "You're right."

"Of course she is, she's Hermione," Harry called down, floating the last of the mushroom up, all of them laughing.

"Ooh, I'm stuffed," Louis sighed, burping loudly, "Pardon me."

The others laughed and suddenly Ray gasped, "There she is, my Evangeline."

Everyone hopped out, though the British frogs already knew who she was. Ray began singing to her, #Look how she lights up the sky. Ma belle, Evangeline.#

"But she ain't no," Louis started only to be pelted by four rocks by the frogs.

#So far above me yet I

Know her heart belongs to only me

Je t′amore#

"I love you," Hermione and Naveen said together

#Je t′aime#

"I adore you," they said again before blushing, "Just translating."

Hermione and Tiana were surprised when Naveen and Harry took their respective hands, pulling them to separate lily pads and starting to dance. Both shied away, "I don't dance."

"If I can mince, you can dance," Naveen said before gracefully bringing her back up.

"Neither do I, but such a lovely night and with lovely company, we should both forget about what we don't do," Harry smiled down and was pleased when his dance partner stood back up.

Both sets of partners danced elegantly, in the water and air, dipping at the end, both coming to almost kiss before the girls shied off; Hermione because she knew Naveen was intended for another, and Tiana for fear of what her heart was telling her.

"Charlotte is getting herself one hell of a dance partner," Hermione said sadly.

"Yes, well, we'd best be heading off…"

Naveen then screamed, he was being dragged off by voodoo shadows, and the others chased, "NAVEEN! Hold on!"

The two magicals were trying to shoot light at the shadows, only they were moving far too quickly, and the frogs needed to use their front legs too. Thankfully shots of light came from the swamp, and Hermione pulled Naveen back towards the group, she and Harry in front in case their saviour wasn't saving them.

"Ah-ha! Not bad for a 197 year old blind lady," an odd black lady wearing dark glasses, in a white dress and head wrap walked out wielding a glowing bat, "Now which one of you naughty kiddies have been with the Shadow Man?"

Each finger aimed at Naveen, who had the decency to look abashed.

"Harry, Hermione, you both know what you need right?" Mama Odie asked in a knowing fashion, her pet snake Juju by her side.

"Yes Mama," they grinned, "Love."

The woman laughed happily, "Creatures who know. How about you two? Do you know what you need?"

"To be human"

"You want to be human, but you're blind to what you need"

"What we want, what we need… It's all the same thing yes?"

"It's all the same thing? NO!" Mama Odie broke out into a song, telling the two newbie frogs that they needed to dig deeper to find what they truly needed.

Naveen realised, his eyes were opened as he watched upon Hermione dancing and playing her guitar along with the music; money was merely a bonus to life, what everyone needed was love.

Tiana though, she didn't understand, her mind was set on one thing, becoming human again and getting her restaurant started, honour her father's memory in succeeding where he didn't.

"Well, if you're all that set on being human, there's only one way," all of them converged on the gumbo bath tub, "Gumbo, gumbo in the pot; we need a precious; what you got?"

A sleeping blonde appeared in the broth, "Lottie? But she's not a princess."

"Oh, shut it and look at the gumbo child"

Suddenly a large man dressed in finery appeared in her door, and the blonde must have squealed in delight, taking a tiara in her hands, "Right, Big Daddy's the Mardi Gras parade King."

"Would that even work?" Hermione asked, questioning the form of magic.

"Of course, but only until midnight, when Mardi Gras is over"

"So we get her to kiss Naveen by midnight, and…?" Harry questioned.

Mama Odie sighed happily, "You'll all turn human again. The kiss of a princess is always powerful magic."

"That doesn't give us much time," the amphibians began to worry.

Louis stepped forward eagerly, "What about me Mama Odie? I want to be a human too, play on the riverboat and have fingers, toes, and a belly button. An innie not an outie."

Grabbing his jaws shut, the woman said, "Jabber Jaws, you dig a little deeper, and you'll find the answer you need. You've got a river to run, you'd best get to swimming."

"I've got a better idea," the alligator thought aloud, his eyes gleaming.

Naveen had gone missing, and then Hermione spotted him standing by Charlotte on the float, a human, and both she and Tiana had rushed off in tears. Harry and Ray had worked out it hadn't been him, but only Ray had gotten free with the voodoo token, handing it to Tiana, who'd run with it while Hermione stayed with a mortally wounded Ray until Louis arrived and told her to go after Tiana.

The spicy frog had shattered the token and Hermione had dragged her to safety, watching as the Shadow Man was taken by his spirit world friends, before rushing to find Naveen and Harry. They found him explaining everything to Lottie, "And you must make sure that Tiana gets the money or her restaurant, and Hermione, Hermione gets anything she needs because, she is my Evangeline."

"Whatever you say sugar," the blonde had been fixing her makeup and probably hadn't even heard her.

"Wait, Naveen, no!" The two girls hopped out, stopping him.

The prince turned, worried, "I need to, you both deserve everything in life, and this way, you will."

"But life won't be worth it without you by my side Naveen," Hermione admitted honestly, spotting Harry holding Tiana in his arms.

Charlotte sighed happily, looking at her childhood friend, "Tia honey, look at you, you've found a true love, and so has your friend. I'll kiss the prince, for you, no marriage required."

Suddenly the clock began to chime, it was midnight, but Lottie still tried, kissing Naveen and Harry both numerous times, but nothing happened, "Oh, oh no I'm so sorry."

"It's okay Lottie," Tiana said honestly, looking into Harry's eyes.

After the girl had rushed off, Louis raced to them, "Harry! Hermione! Tiana! Naveen!"

"What is it Louis?" The two couples hopped over as he placed Ray on the floor, "Oh no, Ray, that evil Shadow Man."

The fire fly smiled weakly up at the quartet, "Hey sugs, how come y'all still…"

"We're staying frogs," the males hugged their loves tightly, "And we're staying together."

"Oh, I like that very much," his eyes unfocused and he smiled brilliantly, "Evangeline like that too."

And with that their friend died.

The funeral had been simple, sending him floating down the bayou with his family and friends watching on, Louis, Harry, Hermione and Naveen had played a sombre tune but all of their hearts were uplifted at seeing another brilliant star right beside Evangeline, and everyone knew that Ray had finally gotten together with his one true love. That same day, Mama Odie presided over the joint wedding of Naveen and Hermione, and Harry and Tiana.

"So, by the power invested in me, I pronounce you froggies and wives, get onto it boys and give your lovely brides some sugar," the blind voodoo witch said.

As soon as the lips touched, all four of them were surrounded by brilliant lights and gusts of wind. Suddenly Naveen and Harry were in formal attire while their new brides wore white wedding gowns, "How?"

"Like I told y'all, kissing a princess breaks the spell"

"Once you became my wife that made you…"

"A princess," Hermione smirked, "You just kissed yourself a princess."

Naveen chuckled, "And I'm about to again."

The couples kissed many more times, the cheers of those around them ringing out, though they were unable to understand anymore.

Bidding Louis farewell, he would be joining them later on, Harry and Hermione used their newly found wands to apparate their loves into the same cathedral that they'd recognised their love and chose it over being human. The two newbies were light green around the edges, but settled after a few more kisses. They changed their clothes to work clothes before setting off to Lottie's home.

"Lottie!" Tiana called out from the front door.

"TIA!" The blonde screamed, racing down the stairs of her large home and bundling her friend up, "You're back, but how?"

Hermione held up her hand, showing the golden ring that Mama Odie had passed them all before leaving, "Naveen kissed a princess, even though she was also a frog. I'm Hermione by the way, and this is my brother Harry, you probably remember our green selves."

Charlotte hugged them all happily, dragging them into the entertaining room, "You must tell me everything about yourselves."

"Where would we start?" The quartet laughed together.

Tiana got a loan from Big Daddy, buying the sugar mill in full from the Fenner Brothers, they had needed a little persuasion of the alligator type though, and all four of them started in on the renovations. With Harry and Hermione's magical touch, the place was up and ready to go in a matter of months, and on the opening night, they had surprise guests.

"Mione, my parents and brother are here," Naveen said nervously, "How did they even know?"

The brunette kissed her husband, "I contacted them, I wanted them to see what their son is capable of and to thank them for kicking your butt out of your polished marble tower."

Wrapping his arms around his lovely bride, the prince sighed happily, "Of course my love. Let's go see them."

All four co-owners of Tiana's Place were dressed in their finest clothes, and walked to the table where Eudora and the 3 royals of Maldonia were seated. Eudora had been wary at first when her daughter brought home this white teenager who she said was her husband, until hearing about her child's adventure and welcomed the two Brits with opened arms.

"Mother, Father, this is my precious wife Hermione, Princess of Maldonia," Naveen stated formally but with a softness in his eyes.

The two royals looked her over and smiled, "Welcome to the family my dear."

As her husband looked on in shock, Hermione was embraced by the queen, king and young prince before placing a hand onto her love's chest, "I never said that I'd not talked to them since contacting them."

"Cheeky," Naveen lift her up, twirling her before hearing the music start up, "Excuse us, that is our cue. Is the chef joining us?"

Harry removed two drumsticks from his trouser pockets, twirling them expertly, "As long as my dear does not need me."

"Go, entertain," Tiana kissed her husband before heading to the kitchens.

With Louis blowing a wicked horn, Naveen on double bass, Hermione on clarinet, and Harry on the drums, the band had everyone swinging. Lottie was overjoyed, even though 19 and the young prince only 15, she already had her eyes set on having herself a prince husband. Later in the evening, a proper royal wedding was arranged, both couples getting one was the condition of Naveen, as well as the condition that he not be forced back to Maldonia, he had intentions on becoming a self-made man; though he did accept his parents' offer of bringing him back into the family fortune. First thing he did was pay back the loan to Big Daddy, then purchased a large house for the two families, and Eudora, who was on her way to becoming a grandmother, what with two sets of grandchildren already a month in the making.

But that's a story for another time.


End file.
